About Marshall

At Marshall University, we change lives and inspire extraordinary futures.

Our students attach high value to our small class sizes, having faculty members actively instructing in the classroom, the availability of intensive advising, exceptional student success resources, modern facilities, a growing global community and robust extracurricular programming.

Our faculty members are leaders, mentors and cultivators of talent. They are making a real difference in the lives of our students, many of whom arrive here with enormous potential but lack a reliable roadmap for academic accomplishment.

Our alumni are the heart and soul of the Marshall family. They have gone on to lead Fortune 500 companies, win Pulitzer Prizes and become captains of industry, science, education and the arts.

Considering becoming part of the Herd? Discover what it means to be a student at Marshall University from other students in this short orientation video featuring the sights and sounds from around campus.

Welcome to Marshall

Marshall University is composed of academic units that include the Colleges of Arts and Media; Business; Education and Professional Development; Information Technology and Engineering; Liberal Arts; Health Professions, and Science, as well as the Honors College; University College; the Graduate College; the School of Pharmacy; and the Joan C. Edwards School of Medicine.

Marshall University is led by President Jerome A. Gilbert, Ph.D. who reports to the Marshall University Board of Governors. Marshall’s leadership staff also includes senior vice presidents for academic affairs, communications and marketing, development, executive affairs, finance, information technology, institutional research and operations.

One of West Virginia’s first public institutions of higher education, Marshall University was founded as Marshall Academy in 1837 and named after Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (1755-1835).

The institution became Marshall College in 1858 and attained university status in 1961.

We at Marshall aspire to foster a more diverse and inclusive campus community, and encourage such a community by promoting cultural awareness, collegiality, and by cultivating respect for diverse people and cultures.

Dynamic strategic planning is critical to any university or community. At Marshall University, planning input requires enthusiastic and engaged communication among our many constituents on exciting and strategic strategies that will shape our future.

The Office of Institutional Research and Planning collects and analyzes university data for reports submitted to the Board of Governors, the West Virginia Higher Education Policy Commission and various other institutions and agencies.

The Thundering Herd competes in NCAA Division I intercollegiate sports in Conference USA with 16 varsity teams. The University also sponsors 10 clubs and 32 intramural sports. Our teams are exceptionally competitive and the university has sent a number of its athletes on to the professional ranks.